


We're On A Collision Course

by Faerie_Fable



Category: Trolls (2016), Trolls World Tour (2020)
Genre: Barb is Hot Mess Lesbian, Bisexual Character, Branch is a good friend, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Falling In Love, Gen, Hickory is a Sweetie, Lesbian Character, M/M, Poppy is clueless, Soulmates, gay relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23958403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faerie_Fable/pseuds/Faerie_Fable
Summary: Poppy can feel the pain of her soulmate, though thanks to her father, she'll never know that's what she's feelingBarb dreams of the connection to her own soulmate, and wishes they didn't get stuck with her pain.
Relationships: Barb/Poppy (Trolls), Branch/Hickory (Trolls), Queen Barb/Queen Poppy (Trolls)
Comments: 35
Kudos: 154





	1. Once Upon A Time....

For Poppy, it started with pain, the barely four year-old trolling had run through the rebuilt village, crying and clutching at her ear, stumbling as she searched for her father with tears sliding down her paling cheeks. Sobs wracked her tiny frame, whimpers of pain occasionally breaking through as she threw herself into her father's arms, small sobs turning into a long wail of pain. 

Both the king and young princess were oblivious to the stunned and worried stares of the villagers, the king too busy trying to pry his daughters hands away from the ear she clutched as if someone or something had tried to bite it off. 

"It gone! It gone! Daddy, my ear gone! Hurts too much!" The small trolling cried, voice rising in a small shriek before she passed out, going limp in her father's strong arms.

But now with her unconscious he could menouvre her hands away, and recoiled, her ear was there, not a single drop of blood on the skin, but under, in a perfect bite mark was bruising and red mottling of blood welling under the surface. It was swelling badly, the ear steadily turning red and growing larger. 

"Someone get ice! And someone else find out what bit her" King Peppy shouted, cradling his daughter close as he hurried for his pod, trolls and Trollings parting around him to let him through as he sprinted. 

It took almost all evening for Poppy to wake up, whimpering and crying out in her sleep before sitting up to clutch at the pink appendage still aching. It took a week for the pain to fade, for the young trolling to be able to talk beyond the pained whimperings of a child made delirious by a mysterious illness.

Peppy was still at a loss, unable to figure out what happened after speaking to the kids she'd been playing with and then speaking to her hadn't helped at all either, not when all accounts pointed to nothing have'n bitten her. 

He didn't understand until someone mentioned soulmates, and then his blood ran cold because no one in the village had been bitten on the ear, and no one knew the secret he kept, so he lied again, pretended that every injury she sustained was from sleepwalking or clumsiness. 

He did his best to keep the truth from everyone, and almost succeeded until over twenty years later when the letter from Queen Barb arrived. 

He'd cheered and celebrated when Poppy and Branch had gotten together after the concert, hoping that the ear and every injury his daughter had sustained growing up was just a fluke, but in the end his hopes were dashed when Branch and Poppy broke up, the two trolls having changed after so many years and after their adventures, the love they held changing with them. 

And Branch had found his soulmate in Hickory.

~~~~~~~~~~

"As queen I need to oversee the party our village is hosting" she argued, still busy trying to get her pink and rainbow hair tied up out of the way, distracted by Hickory and Branch both trying to argue her down, trying to remind her she needed rest.

"You will oversee, but you need to rest, you haven't even sat down since getting the other kingdoms responses to the party invite" the blue troll argued, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping one foot impatiently at the haggard queen.

She groaned then screamed under her breath, pressing her lips tight together to muffle the noise when her hair flicked, the cord she was trying to tie around it snapping and flinging to hit the mirror. 

Both the trolls sitting on her lounge winced, leaning back and away from the fuming monarch. 

"Fine, attend the meeting, but no signing off on anything until tomorrow when the Rock Trolls get here, I think they're planning on bringing stuff for the party" Branch relented, both hands up placatingly and watched with a worried frown as his best friend sighed despondently. 

"No, you're right, it's late, I'll let everyone sleep on their ideas and then hold tomorrow's meeting later in the day so everyone can attend the meeting, I think the techno trolls will be here around lunch time" she murmured, dropping her hands to her sides, slouching as she turned slowly to face her friends, gesturing with a small nod at the side table that was currently littered with responses, memos and letters from many of her own villagers and trolls from further away. 

Hickory picked up one of the letters, unrolling it to read the contents and then looked at the blank calendar sitting on the cushions beside him. "Hey, Ah, Branch, I'll cook dinner while ye' handle Poppy's calendar" he offered, getting up off the lounge with a spring to his step, rushing towards her kitchen while Branch began inspecting the letters, then adding things to her empty calendar with his tongue bitten in concentration. 

"I can do that" the Queen mumbled, half heartedly stepping forward to try and help, caught between which one to help. They both waved her off.

"You're my guests, I'm supposed to be looking after you" she murmured, following Hickory to the kitchen tiredly, shoulders aching from all the lifting and carrying she'd been doing since the early morning just the day before.

"You're going for a nap" he retorted, voice low and soft, reaching out to pat the top of her head, fingers rubbing soothingly at her scalp until she nodded dreamily, content little hum on her lips as he lead the way with head scratches to her bed. "I'll wake ya when the grub's ready" he said affectionately, watching her snuggle down deep into her blankets.

On his way back to the kitchen he paused to kiss Branch on the cheek, chuckling affectionately as the other troll kept working, writing daily agendas into their friends calendar. 

Poppy was woken before dinner could be finished, pain bursting in her left foot causing her to fall out of bed with a muffled curse of "mother of cupcakes" at the top of her lungs. When she did get back up she hopped on her right foot to the kitchen, muttering under her breath that this was just like her, to kick something in her sleep while she reached into the freezer, pulling out some ice to press to her aching toes. 

Branch and Hickory's stares when she turned to them, sighing with relief when the ice soothed the splitting pain, didn't bother her much. "I'm always doing this kind of shi-stuff! This kind of stuff in my sleep" she explained, voice going high and panicked for a moment when she nearly swore before catching on a yawn at the end. 

"So what's for dinner? Can I help with anything?" She asked, voice bright and chipper after wiping sleep from her eyes, other hand still massaging the chunk of ice against the sore spot on her foot. Of course, she was met with silence.

"Hey, this is nothing, I was a very clumsy sleepwalker growing up" she admonished with a laugh.


	2. How Times Change

For Barb, it started in her later years, sequestered away in her room, feet up on her desk, still only a princess at the time when suddenly the pic she was holding slipped from her fingers, a migraine bursting inside her brain and for a moment all she could do was grunt in pain as sounds accosted her from every direction in her still silent room.

The next week was a rollercoaster of happenings, nightmares of dark tunnels and running from shovels, a battle cry of "No Troll Left Behind" echoing through her very soul. 

When she was finally able to drag herself from her room, hands shaking and red hair a tangled mess on her head she'd gone straight to her dad.

"Maybe it's your soulmate" he'd offered offhandedly, barely looking up from the royal decree he'd been writing while the 7 year-old princess of Rock had scoffed, crossing her arms over her narrow chest with a disgusted sneer.

"Oh Puke! Dad, that's gross!" She huffed, sticking her tongue out with a "blech" noise to show her distaste, even though on the inside something fluttered hopefully, a small flush rising on her cheeks and the tips of her ears.

Her dad was courteous enough to pretend he didn't see it, or the ghost of a smile on her lips when she turned to leave his office. He waited until she was out of his office to grin to himself, wondering who the lucky troll was while he cracked his aching joints, sighing sadly moments later when he realised he was going to have to move her coronation forwards if he kept getting worse. So much weight for such young shoulders.

The second time it happened was only two years later, the nine year-old princess had fallen asleep in pain, hands fisted tightly in her sheets to keep from gripping the side of her head where her left ear was wrapped tight in bandages after the healers had spent the better part of the afternoon trying to save the appendage. Her nightmare, for that's all she could call it, was a young voice screaming for their daddy, wailing that their ear hurt, sometimes, she could hear their whimpers when she woke up, delirious for a week as her body fought infection and venom.

Her father stayed by her side all week, changed her bandages himself and sang her the ballads he remembered his wife singing to her as a baby, hoping with everything he had he wasn't going to lose her too. He comforted her as best he could when she woke up, begging for the pain to stop because her other half could feel it too, her pink eyes glazed over and brimming with tears. 

He had pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in his strong embrace and promised the pain would stop, begging to every king and queen before him that it wasn't the empty promise of a desperate father.

His prayers were answered a week later when she sat up, groaning softly, looked at him with clear eyes and asked if there was anything to eat bashfully while her stomach roared with all the gusto of a metal troll. 

After that things seemed to settle down, Barb careful to keep from getting any more major injuries and still dreaming once in a blue moon about their connection, sometimes she'd wake up with a sweet taste in her mouth. Nothing eventful happened except her coronation, not until twenty years after the very first incident, when her dreams were invaded by nightmares, giant beasts reaching for trolls and she woke up, heart pounding every morning for weeks with the knowledge that her soulmate could be eaten. And that they knew it too.

When the nightly terrors that overtook her sleep were replaced with softer dreams again she celebrated, holding a concert seemingly out of the blue, singing louder than she thought she could, voice raised to the heavens themselves in pure joy. 

Her first plans for her world tour had been to find her soul mate after realising she was humming songs she didn't know, couldn't possibly have heard anywhere but her dreams, but the dream of her tour was corrupted, turned dark when she couldn't get the songs out of her head, found them beating alongside her rock beats in her mind. Finding out her mother had been the descendant of pop trolls, finding out she was part pop troll herself had been the final straw.

The concert though, when she'd finally accepted herself and that she and her soulmate was so different, with her rainbow mohawk out for everyone to see, she finally let it all go. Her dreams settled once again, pop and rock music playing together in harmony like before when ignorance had been bliss.

She'd been to every settlement, conducting repairs herself, touring all the troll kingdoms to make reparations for her crimes and forgiveness had flowed like music, and soon she had learned something from every place, appreciation for the differences, great and small.

~~~~~~~~~

"Yo Trollex dude, you want a lift to pop village? It'll be like old times but this time you'll be riding shotgun instead of cargo" Barb called out to the techno king then paused, words registering in her brain as her face shut down and she slapped a palm to her forehead, groaning loudly while the king laughed, bent in half, hands over his gut. 

"Oh man, your face when you realised what you said" he chortled, swimming closer to where she stood within the bubble of her anglerfish tour bus. "The bus looks kinda full, you sure you can fit us?" He asked curiously as the chuckles died down, watching the queen of hard rock relax when she seemed to understand that he wasn't insulted. 

"This bus is my baby, it's got all my stuff and my entourage, but the other buses" she stated, swinging an arm out emphatically to gesture at the buses currently lined up, floating above the reef system his speakers were built into, "they're empty, all they had in them was supplies for rebuilding" she admitted with a grin, leaning forwards until she was almost leaning against the bubble. 

The techno troll floated closer, blowing a bubble and shaping it so as she leaned out she could swim beside him and still breath. She lead the way to the nearest empty bus, a couple rock trolls sitting on lounges taking a break in its giant maw. "There's enough space that you could spread out into a few buses and bring any supplies for the reunion and we'd still have space for shenanigans" she stated, patting the bus on the side while the king inspected it. 

"Sure, I was planning on packing up and going after you left tonight anyways" he admitted, "saves time if we go together" he added then smirked. "Who knows, we might throw a mutiny and put you in the cargo" he joked, crossing his arms and pretending seriousness.

"Oh? Ha ha ha" she fake laughed, rolling her eyes, though it was ruined by the real grin spreading across her lips. "We'll" she pointedly glared at the rockers currently loafing about, raising her eyebrows and they leapt to attention, "help you load up and then we'll head off, get an early start to pop village" she said, watching the rock trolls carefully as they immediately dove out of the bus and into the water, one by one receiving bubbles from King Trollex.

~~~~~~~~~~

The trip was mostly uneventful, a couple of techno trolls had decided to ride in the royal bus with her and Trollex and the two were currently moving some amps around when it happened, she was so tired she slipped up, let her mind wander to what her soulmate was doing and began to daydream. She could feel a hand in her hair, smell sweet food and the softness of blankets bundling around her. She smiled softly, relaxing into the feeling, her own body moving on autopilot whole her mind stayed with the mysterious other troll. 

Until the trance broke, pain flooding through the link on both ends as she dropped the amp, right on her left foot. She hopped about on one foot, clutching at her sore one with a pained grimace, hoping it hadn't hurt her other half too much, and already knowing she'd woken them up from what felt like to her like the first time they'd slept in days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barb is five years older than Poppy.  
> Her first time dreaming into her bond was when she was 7,  
> she was 9 when she lost her ear and about 27 during the first movie while Poppy was about 22.  
> Four years passed between movies I think so their ages now are 26(Poppy) and 32(Barb)  
> Barb was coronated at age 17-18


	3. Feelings Sometimes Suck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is heavily influenced by the amazing art of Retroxxdraws on Tumblr, you should definitely check out this kickass PopRocks animatic they made before reading this chapter
> 
> https://retroxxdraws.tumblr.com/post/616903435022974976/imagine-poppy-and-barb-did-a-collab-together

The next morning, after getting her foot bandaged Poppy sat out on the stairs before her pod, watching the sun rise while the rest of the village slept. She enjoyed the quiet, a steaming cup of sweetened tea warming her cool hands and drawing her attention away from the ache in her foot, the bruising that had spread from her toes making them swell uncomfortably. The peace and quiet have her time to think. 

Her hug bracelet lit up, petals opening softly and the melodious chime floating in the air around her. Her lips tugged up into a smile as she set her cup down on the stairs beside her and wrapped her arms around her middle, hugging herself tightly, bracing for the coming days drama she was expecting. 

She'd seen the calendar Branch had written up for her, how many appointments she had in the coming week until the reunion party, and the schedule for repairing the last few pods, to lift them back into their original places back in the trees but, after all the lifting she and her people had done, she didn't want to subject more to her people. She was planning on asking the Queen of rock for assistance with that, finally taking her up on that offer of help to rebuild, maybe just the use of one of her tour buses and a winch. 

The ache in her shoulders agreed with that sentiment.

She smiled as the hug ended, reaching beside herself to pick up her tea, the warmth from the hug and the soothing heat of the mug going right to her soul. She giggled, about to take a sip when she heard it, something moving through the underbrush some distance away, moving faster than a troll could run and she looked towards the sunrise, watching as a bunch of dark shapes came bursting through some distant bushes. 

The warm smile became an excited grin as the first notes of a fast rock song met her ears perfectly fused with Techno, and even from this distance she could hear the distinct tones of Trollex and Barb's voices. 

"Barb's here!" She screamed excitedly, knocking her cup to the side in her haste to leap up, ready to sprint down her stairs until the pain in her foot exploded, throbbing moments later right up her leg. She yowled like an angry cat, glaring at the offending appendage even as she hopped repeatedly on her good leg. 

She didn't let it hold her back, she kept her foot angled up, toes in the air and heel pressed down as she ran, heading towards where the line of anglerfish tour buses were rushing in, waving excitedly, and as they drew closer she could see trolls riding on the top, techno and rock trolls partying on their roofs and in their open maws, a huge DJ table in the center ones' mouth, a familiar red mohawk and green hair standing side by side, trolls that owned them singing at the tops of their lungs.

The closer they got the more she could hear and see of them, her grin widening and excitement growing until she was hopping in place, waving ecstatically as other pop trolls poked their heads out of their pods. 

"Ayyyyyyy Pop-ayyyyyyyyy" she heard Barb crow, voice as ecstatic as her own and she burst her hair in response, rainbow colours spreading out in her joy at seeing the other royals, at seeing friends she hadn't in a while. She could hear the rock trolls laughter, voice bursting loud and sharp in the late dawn, pointing at her with a guitar pic in hand. 

When the buses stopped, halting in almost perfect synchronicity the music faded, one last power chord echoing over Trollex and Barb's speakers before the two royals stepped out from behind the DJ booth.

Poppy felt her mouth drop open in astonishment when she saw Barb practically leaning on Trollex to climb down, her left foot angled up, wrapped in bandages just like her own and then burst into giggles. 

"You too!" She yelled, pointing to her own bandaged left foot and soon all three Royals were laughing, Trollex looking between the two queens with a mirthful grin. 

"How did you-" they both started, pausing to look at one another before both trying to let the other talk first. 

"Pre-sleepwalking accident, kicked something and woke myself up" the pink troll gushed with a grin, laughing at herself.

"She dropped an amp" Trollex blurted out, laughing at the rock queen's expense while she stuck her tongue out at him, sharp ears flicked back. 

"Make me sound like a clutz" the rocker grumbled, crossing her strong arms over her chest, totally not pouting. Though there's something like a smile catching at the corners of her lips only to fall away in shock as the pop queen leapt forward, catching the two other royals in a hug and beginning to chatter excitedly about throwing a huge breakfast for everyone courtesy of pop village. 

Her squeal of laughter when Debbie fluttered over to sit on her shoulder, nuzzling against her pink cheek had volcanoes erupting in Barb's gut, flush rising on her cheeks and she felt her shoulders tense as she sucked in a large gasp of air, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden. She pretended to ignore the nudge her father gave her as his wheelchair passed, rolling over to chat with Peppy, wheelchair at full speed and devil horns raised with a loud cry of "Rock On".

No one noticed Peppy's expression or the way his eyes kept darting between the two queens feet, eyes wider than normal and hair doubling in frizz before he turned to walk beside the other former king to where pop, techno and rock trolls were moving tables to set up a huge breakfast.

"You guys sure did rebuild fast" Trollex pointed out, looking around in astonishment at pop village while the queen's limped along beside him.

"Oh, this isn't our first time rebuilding, or even the second time" Poppy trilled, voice nonchalant with a wave of her hand.

Trollex and Barb glanced at each other, confused. 

"When else? How many times" the techno king asked, almost hesitantly as if fearing the answer. 

"Well, the first time was over twenty years ago and the last time was about four years ago" she said, then added as if it were an afterthought, completely oblivious to the rising horror of the other two monarchs, "our friends the Bergen's used to be our enemies and when we escaped being eaten by them twenty-ish years ago we came here, then their chef found us and came and we had had to rebuild again after teaching them how to be happy without eating us and now we're friends". She laughed, shaking her head, "I mean, it's a little more complicated but that doesn't matter at the moment, but speaking of rebuilding…. What's wrong? You guys look worried?"

Poppy looked back at the other two, having walked a few paces ahead of them she had to turn around, confused little frown on her face, completely misunderstanding the confusion on their faces while her hands hung limp at her side, head tilted just slightly.

For Barb, this knowledge shouldn't have hit her so hard, but for some reason, even knowing through her dreams that the pop trolls had once experienced a fear of being eaten, or at least one of them had, it still felt like a punch to the gut. 

"You mean those gentle giants you introduced us to last time we were all here? They used to try eating you guys?" Trollex asked, mouth hanging open, floating just a little higher off the ground while his voice rose a few octaves.

Barb nodded, crossing her arms and in her state of distraction she put weight on the ball of her bad foot, pain lancing up her leg. Her eyes widened then screwed shut in shock and pain before she winced, groaning softly.

Poppy must have rested weight on her foot too because she felt her eyes go wide and then squeaked softly, lifting her foot back off the ground to hop in place on her good foot. 

It was a comical enough moment that it distracted all three from the rather heavy conversation and soon they headed to join the others. 

"So what did you mean to say about rebuilding?" Trollex asked, watching a group of techno Trollings dive into a pile of pop trollings, the gaggle of children immediately starting a game of tag, running alongside the path through the village.

"Oh, we rebuilt two of the pods a little larger, and we've been doing so much lifting lately, I was wondering if the rock kingdom would be willing to use one of their buses to help… pull… a few… up into place?" The pop queen asked, twiddling her fingers, suddenly bashful as she turned to Barb.

"Normally I wouldn't ask, you guys have been so busy running around, touring, helping everyone else" she started, voice turning apologetic, smiling softly at Barb with a soft flush, her ears twitching cutely. 

"We can do that popsqueak, though it might be best to do it without the buses, they tend to move erratically" barb stated, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking her hip to the side, ignoring as best she could the little things that Poppy did that made her feel " _ things _ ".

The way Poppy sagged with relief, smile brightening and softening at the same time, pink eyes glittering as she gazed first at Barb then at her own people had something in Barb fluttering, that volcano in her gut erupting once more even as a touch of guilt touched in her conscience as feelings for Poppy and her unmet soulmate warred. 

"Thank you" the other queen whispered breathlessly, "after this, we should give everyone a day off from any more big jobs, focus on just planning the party and letting our people get to know each other" 

"I like the sound of that!" Trollex laughed, flipping in the air, pulling his little green dude from his hair before seating himself at one of the many tables getting covered in food by chattering pop trolls.

And now, without Trollex there as a buffer, it was just Poppy and Barb, the two queens standing awkwardly for a moment before the rockers eyes narrowed, spotting two of her people using food as instruments, making a small mess and causing a minor fuss. Poppy turned to see what distracted Barb and had to bite her lip, clapping both hands over her mouth to keep in a bark of giggles and laughter, snorting softly as Barb marched towards her subjects. 

She shrugged and almost skipped before a twinge in her foot made her gasp, wincing softly before she limped off, not noticing the flinch Barb had done when her own foot connected with the ground, her determined march turning into a fast limp.

Their fathers however, saw it all. 

~~~~~~~~

Branch and Hickory noticed it the moment it happened, Poppy stopping mid sentence, mouth clicking shut and eyes widening, a small flush rising on her ears and cheeks as she walked beside them. She paused, back straightening as she took a deep breath, squeaking in the back of her throat almost panicked as they walked past where a group of rock trolls were gathered, singing loudly, her fuchsia eyes caught on one troll in particular.

Both Hickory and Branch snorted, giving each other those secretive grins before turning to watch Poppy's reaction as Barb, singing hard and rough, voice.carrying over her fellows helped pull on a rope. 

Poppy's eyes were drawn to the rockers pose, the way her shoulders were tensed as she leaned back, heels dug into the ground, muscles straining in her arms and legs and a savage grin across her face. The pop queen squeaked a few times, opening and closing her mouth before turning around quite suddenly, biting her lip and hunching her shoulders, unable to meet either of her friends eyes. 

Branch and Hickory got to watch occurrences such as that all week, sometimes with the positions reversed, like the time Poppy and Carol decided it was a good idea for a makeover. There were fishnets and a mini skirt involved. 

On day seven, with all the kingdoms present at pop village, everything put to right, a huge feast was held, all the monarchs partying amongst their people and the drinks were flowing. Branch and Hickory, with the help of Thrash, Peppy, Riff and Carol had come up with a plan to try and… move things along. So far, with Poppy and Barb in the middle of a drinking contest, it seemed to be working perfectly. 

~~~~~~~~~~

"Eurgh, that's bitter" the pop troll shouted, a look of disgust on her pink face as she slammed the large empty mug down. 

"You quitting three drinks in?"

"Pour another!" 

Barb laughed, slamming her third empty mug down opposite Poppy's just as two more mugs were slid forward by Delta, the queen of Country raising a brow at the two younger queen's as if to question their sanity.

The next drink was sweet, something mixed by pop trolls and this time it was Barb's turn to scrunch her nose up and once again Poppy's empty mug beat hers to the table, this time with a gleeful little noise, pink eyes lighting up, and Barb caved, slamming her cup down, complaining loudly that it was too sweet to drink just so she could see that delighted look on her friends face a little longer. She snuck what she thought was furtive glances, eyes soft and lips tugged up in a little smile that Poppy caught and immediately returned.

"Singing contest!" Barb blurted, trying to distract herself before she could do anything silly, leaping to her feet, only the smallest twinge from her foot, bandages finally gone and she staggered slightly. She searched for her guitar, fleeing the situation by rushing on unsteady legs for the stage, Poppy on her heels, blushing softly as someone yelled for them to duet.

Their eyes met, standing side by side on the stage and they both turned to their microphones when Barb began to play on her axe guitar. 

"I know this song!" Poppy gasped, excitedly, bouncing in place with a wide grin while the rocker beside her smirked mischievously to cover up the bursting, blasting feeling in her gut again.

"I want your love and all your lovers revenge, you and me could write a bad romance!" Barb sang, tilting her head down, expression turning sultry, just a glimmer of the hunger she had always felt around the pop singing queen showing in her shadowed eyes. For a moment, when Poppy turned those pretty pink eyes to her, startled by the hunger, flushing softly even as she tensed beside Barb for a moment, Barb thought she'd won.

And then Poppy sang.

She hit the note perfectly, voice powerful and carrying, starting soft before turning into something that sent shivers down her spine, knocking the breath out of Barb's lungs like a solid punch. But it was nothing compared to the look Poppy gave her, turning her head just a little, that soft flush on her cheeks, the glimmer in her bright eyes and the beginnings of a smirk on those perfectly shaped lips. For a moment the rest of the world ceased to exist as Barb felt the tips of her ears flush, colour darkening her cheeks. 

The next line filled her with want and need in equal measure. 

"Caught in a bad romance" the other queen sang, a challenging look in her eyes, smirk tugging at her lips. The next line they sang together, harmonising, pop and rock, belting out the next notes together and the rest of the song became a blur, the two of them locked together at the eyes, even the crowd had seemed to disappear to them, right up until the last notes when they looked away from each other, hearts pounding in their chests.

They were separated by the crowd, tugged and pulled by their friends in different directions and didn't see each other until the next morning at breakfast when Poppy sat beside Barb, two cups of sweet tea in hand and a slice of buttered toast hanging from her lips. She didn't wait for the cup to get set down, reaching for it as soon as she saw it with a groan that soon turned to a pleasured purr as she began drinking. She drank it all like it was the nectar of life, grateful to get rid of the dry, almost fluffy feeling in her mouth. 

It took a moment to realise it was Poppy slumping into the seat beside her with a low groan, head resting against Barb's shoulder, a hand on the rockers back, almost on her hip. "Why did all the drinks you chose last night taste bad?" She whined, voice a little hoarse, hair a perfectly endearing (hot) mess and so warm against Barb's side. Debbie chose that moment to start making noises, flopping about on the table until she had her huge pink, vacant eyes trained on Poppy, almost close enough to touch noses. 

"Ah, you're such a cutie" the pink troll murmured, leaning forwards, away from Barb to press a little nuzzling kiss to Debbie's forehead, hand that wasn't on the other trolls hip moving to gently pet the little bats soft hair.

The guilt started eating at Barb as soon as Poppy had finished eating and left to go oversee the last bits of preparation for the party, thoughts of her soulmate, their warm dreams, the soft touch of their soul when she dreamed into the bond battling with her feelings for the other queen. She clutched her bat to her chest and hid in her tour bus for the remainder of the morning, pacing back and forth, trying to convince herself that she would be okay. 

She didn't hear her dad's wheelchair until he was beside her where she sat in her throne, head in her hands and thoughts going a mile a moment until his voice broke through the internal screaming.

"Barbara" he murmured, voice soft but eyes clearer than usual, an endeared smile spreading across his lips as she startled, sitting up straight and blinking at him with wide, multi-toned pink eyes rimmed with red, eyeliner and mascara running down her cheeks. Debbie was nestled in her mohawk providing what comfort she could but Barb was barely consolable by that point. 

"Oh Barbara, what's goin' on?" The old rocker asked, directing his chair closer to where his daughter sat, not even reacting when she threw herself into his weak arms except to wrap them around her as tight he could. 

"Feelings suck" his daughter murmured back in response, burying her face in his shoulder, sitting on the arm of his chair so she had to curl down to hide from the world in his bulk. "My soulmate's gonna hate me when we find each other" she whispered, words muffled in her father's jacket, but he just pet her back, humming soothingly.

"You've already found her, she just doesn't know" he exclaimed, voice a little stronger than it had been before, a cheeky undertone to it while she paused, freezing in place against his side. She didn't budge until he started reaching for a juice box, moving on autopilot to open it and even guide it into his hand.

"Who? Dad what do you mean?" She asked, wiping at her eyes, sliding off his wheelchair arm to face him, her two toned eyes staring pleadingly, beseeching him for any nugget of wisdom he held. The constant movement made Debbie take off, flapping around in circles around the ceiling while her dad looked at her strangely while he crushed his empty box against the side of his head.

"She doesn't know she's bonded to someone yet" he said plainly, then looked his daughter up and down, pride and love shining in his lucid eyes, "go get cleaned up, the party starts at lunch" he laughed, ushering her off to her room in the bus with a wave of his hand, fingers and thumb forming the devil horns sign, "and always rock on".

The sound that escaped Barb's lips was caught somewhere between a sob and a chuckle, a choked little noise so full of emotion it all just seemed to get stuck. With a nod, trying to be strong for her old man, she darted off into the back room to change and clean herself up. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, hey dad, what's up" the pop queen asked, stepping aside so her dad could look at the drinks list with her, smiling brightly at her father for a moment before frowning when she saw the expression on his face. "Dad? What's wrong?" She asked, moving to rest a hand on his shoulder. He took her hand in both of his, sighing softly as he tried to strengthen his resolve.

It was time to come clean.

"You remember… all the times you got hurt growing up? The sleepwalking incidents?" He asked, stopping and starting, nearly losing the will to talk to her so openly.

"Well yeah, I still do it dad" she said with a laugh, shrugging softly even as she squeezed his hands comfortingly, drink list temporarily forgotten in favour of listening. 

"They aren't sleepwalking incidents, you've never sleepwalked" he admitted, words coming out just a touch rushed, breaking eye contact out of shame, wishing he'd told her the truth all those many, many years ago. 

"Pfft, dad, what else could they be? I don't have a soulbond yet…. Oh mother of cupcakes! I have a soulmate don't I?" She yelled, voice going high, eyes widening as realisation set in and her hands started shaking as she began pacing back and forth. 

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh sprinkles and sugar" she groaned, hands going up to her hair, tugging her loose hair down over her face to muffle her existential crisis while her father moved to sit at her desk, glad he'd closed her door on his way in. 

He cleared his throat, waiting patiently for her panic to settle. 

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She asked when her thoughts swirled and coalesced into something coherent at last.

"Because they weren't a pop troll, and I was a coward" he admitted, looking down at his lap.

"You're not a coward dad, you just, thought you were protecting me" she whispered, slumping into the chair next to him, head in her hands. She closed her eyes, screwing them shut so tight that colours and lights flashed behind her eyelids, desperately trying to reconcile her feelings for Barb and the knowledge of a soulmate, somewhere out there, waiting for her. 

"I'll worry about my soulmate tomorrow" she announced, forcing strength, conviction into her words despite how her voice shook, a smile plastered across her frozen lips as she turned to her dad. "Today, we have a party to throw and guests to host, tomorrow i'll… well, I don't know yet, but I can't lose sight of today".

Peppy nodded wordlessly, downcast eyes unable to lift to meet hers for even a moment, "let me know when you're ready to know more" he offered, hoping she heard him over her thoughts, relief flooding his old bones when she nodded back, hands tensing before she rolled up the drinks list, muttering something about needing to go talk to Branch about party supplies.

She smiled at everyone that day, kept busy so she wouldn't have time to think, time to wonder about  **them** and didn't stop until dinner, the day passing in a dazed blur and yet time seemed to move too slow, the seconds dragging by like hours. But when things settled down at dinner, a light hush falling over the crowd, songs going quiet and Trollings beginning to doze, her thoughts couldn't help but wander from her, anxiety tugging at her heart.

She sat between her dad and Barb, a fleeting smile, eyes strained and hands tense on the table for her friend before she stared intently at her plate, as if willing it to give her all the answers, unknowing of the concern radiating from those sitting nearest her until Barb dropped a hand on her shoulder, pulling her in snug against her side with a worried little frown.

"What's wrong cake-pop?" The Rock troll asked, voice low so as to keep from worrying anyone else. 

"I found out I have a soul mate" she blurted, words pouring out of her faster than she could control, turning tear filled eyes to the queen beside her. "I thought I was just clumsy, I didn't think I had a soulmate somewhere out there, I just…. I thought…" she stopped herself, a hand over her mouth, trying to force herself to smile at the other queen, attempting to apologise for the word vomit, but now, nothing else would come out.

"How… what… what started it?" Barb asked, voice low and hesitant, turning in her seat to better face the bubblegum coloured troll. 

Poppy didn't even know how to answer. "It's been happening for as long as I can remember", she admitted, trying desperately to keep from crying, to keep anyone from seeing how the colours on her hands were fading, unsure if it was a trick of her mind or if she really was turning grey again.

"It started when you were four" he father intoned, sorrow and regret ringing deep in his words. "I told everyone it was a bug bite, your ear swelled up and you were sick for a week, you were in so much pain and I couldn't do anything except watch, I should have told you the truth, I should have told you there were other trolls" he admitted, and in the quiet, the other monarchs sitting at their table heard every word. "I was ashamed of what our ancestors did to the strings, to harmony, I was scared that your soulmate wouldn't accept you because of what pop did so long ago, that they'd blame you, I just wanted to protect you".

And Poppy sat frozen, eyes wide, staring at her plate of untouched food, tears drying on her cheeks and hands shaking on her lap, unable to look up, not wanting to see judgement on her friends and peers faces for not knowing this one thing about herself. She didn't see the looks Thrash and Peppy were giving each other, the determined nods but Barb saw them.

And everything clicked.

A smile spread across Barb's face while firecrackers and explosions burst in her very veins, lighting her up from the inside until she couldn't keep it in, jumping up with a loud cry of victory startling Poppy into looking up at her as well as just about everyone else as everything fell into place. 

"When I got here we both had injured feet that healed at the same time, and when I lost my ear!" She exclaimed, standing on the table, so excited nothing else mattered, "and when my ear got bitten off I was sick for a week and that happened to me when you were four" she laughed, bright and loud, watching as understanding dawned on the other queens face. 

She watched Poppy's eyes brighten and hair perk up as the bugglegum queen pushed her chair back, standing on unsteady feet with a slowly dawning grin as bright as her own.

"I thought I was betraying my soulmate whose dreams have been a comfort most of my life by falling in love with you, but you're  **_them_ ** " She was so excited she jumped off the table, landing right before the pop troll who had her heart and soul to link their fingers together, hands between them as they stood front to front. 

"I love you" Poppy gasped, tightening her fingers with Barb's, resting their foreheads together, repeating it like a mantra, glittering tears of joy streaking down her face, unable to stop smiling while Barb laughed again. The rainbows in their hair exploded with bursts of glitter as if to prove their love while the other trolls cheered.

The party lasted a week, a celebration of both the reunification of the trolls and the realisation of a soulbond that shouldn't have ever existed, but persisted even through their darkest moments, pulling them together where they truly belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barb: I'm sorry you have to feel my pain  
> Poppy: I'm not, because now I know you'll never be alone with it  
> Barb: but it's not fair on you  
> Poppy: finding out you join my dreams means I never have to fear sleeping again, I think I got the better half of the deal  
> Barb: your dreams always did give me hope

**Author's Note:**

> Headcannons:  
> Escape from Bergen Town happened when Poppy was two.  
> Her first time feeling her soulmates pain happened when she was four


End file.
